BODY IN CREEK

Taranaki Daily News, 13 April 1935, Page 9

BODY IN CREEK

MURDER ALLEGATIONS CHARGE AGAINST PRICE 0 ■ TAXI-DRIVER’S EVIDENCE MOVEMENTS OF ACCUSED CROWN’S CASE NEARS .END I By Telegraph—Press Association. . Napier, Last Night. Ohly three more witnesses are to be heard in ' the lower court hearing .of the case in which Charles William Price, alias Edwards, is. charged that on or about February 6, at Argyll, he murdered Evelyn Mary Madden. ' The court will resume early to-morrow morning and the hearing should be concluded by midday. Further evidence was called to-day to throw light on the movements of Price and Miss Madden following their departure from the Oreka station, where . both were employed for a time. Walter Sydney Bennett, postal. clerk, Hastings, gave evidence that oh Tues- , day, February 5, a woman appeared at the money-order office in the Hastings post office, produced a book on the Wellington Savings Bank and expressed a desire to make a withdrawal. The woman filled in an application for the sum of £3O, signing it “Evelyn Mary Madden,” and requested that the money be forwarded to the Society, Napier. She also directed that the passbook be forwarded to Waipawa. Witness said that the money was never paid out.’

Edward Mervyn Murray, bank clerk, Hastings, identified three cheques which he cashed for a woman on February 5. The. cheques,. which totalled £8 15s 9d, Were drawn in favour of Eva Madden. A housemaid, Margaret McGregor Reid, employed at the Girls’ Friendly * Society, Napier, said that a woman accompanied by. a man called at the lodge on February 5 seeking lodgings. ' The woman, who said her name was Madden, decided not to stay at the . lodge and departed with the man, who had waited outside the gate. A money order telegram arrived at the lodge for Miss ■Madden that afternoon but was unclaimed. Witness did not see Miss Madden again. LOOKING FOR A JOB. - Alfred Rosenberg, labour agent, tings, stated that on August 5 last year he obtained a position for) Price with James Lowry. Price returned to wit-, ness’ office on February 5 last arid said he had left Lowry’s and was looking for another job. . Later Price left two , suitcases with witness, returning for them in a taxi a day or two later... About February 13 a man named Marshall visited witness’ office seeking a ploughman, and witness gave him Price’s address. •'. i / • v , Evidence was given by a taxi-driver,, Joseph Bernard Dooney, whose wife was a relative of Price, that on February 5 Price arrived at his home and asked him to drive him to the Hastings Hotel. This he did. Later in the day Price returned to witness’ home accompanied by a young woman whom he introduced “as Miss Madden. They stayed for tea and supper, and then witness drove them back to Hastings. I Dooney again picked up Price at his sister’s place at-Napier on February 7. Witness, asked Price where the girl was, and he replied that he had left her at the home of Hollis, Argyll. Price then added that Miss Madden was going away, probably to Auckland. Price remained at Napier between February 7 and 14, during which time he drank heavily. On the latter date Price told witness that he was going to a job at Argyll., ■ ■■ ' . TAXI-DRIVER’S STORY.

Norman John Guild, taxi-driver, Napier, stated that on the afternoon of Tuesday, February 5, he went to Dooney’s flat, where he shared an office. In the flat at the time were Price and a young woman, who was introduced to him as Miss Madden.. Price asked witness to pick him up at Hastings at 2 o’clock the- next afternoon in order to take him into the country. Next morning Guild received a message to meet Price at . the Hastings railway station at 10; o’clock in the morning instead, of 2 o'clock. When witness arrived at the station he was met by Miss Madden. Shortly afterwards ’ Price arrived and both entered the. car.

At Price’s instruction witness drove via Stortford Lodge and Bridge Pa to a house Mason’s Ridge, where witness and Price left the car and drank from a whisky flask in Price’s possession. They returned to the car and continued on. another two miles, when Price pointed out the Taheke station to Miss Next they pulled up at a ploughman’s camp,' which Price entered. Price conversed with a drover, after which the journey was continued. They stopped at other places before they arrived at Taheke station. After a' short period at the station they returned to the ploughman’s camp, where Price and; the girl got out of the car. Price said he was going to take the young woman to Hollis’ place by a short cut as it was too far by road. “They went round the track over the hill and I lost 'sight of them,” witness said. “Before they left Price told me to wait for him. He said he might be an hour or two. Miss Madden had an overcoat over) her arm.” raiCEBETURNED ALONE. Witness said that following the couple’s -departure he -Curled up in the front seat and had a doze. He saw no one else, but an hour and 20, minutes later Price returned alone along the road. He said h® had left the girl at Hollis’ place and they would bring her to the railway station the following morning. ; Witness noticed that Price’s foot was wet. Price said that he had slipped while stepping across a creek. Witness did not notice anything strange about Price’s demeanour. They returned to Hastings. j “During the journey home Price said lie had got some money from Miss Madden,” Guild continued. “He said he had got J&3O from her, but he did not show

me_.the money. Then we stopped at the TeAute Hotel and had a drink, for which Price paid. He also paid me £2 from a roll of notes, which included one or two fivers.” Witness said that. Price told him he would bo meeting Miss Madden at the Hastings- railway station the following mprning. William Rose Gunn, shepherd, de■scribed a conversation he had with Price at a ploughman’s camp on February 6. He knew Price as Edwards, who said he was looking for a job and asked for Bayliss. Witness said . Bayjliss was away at Hastings. Edwards then left.

Dudley lan Hulbert Fitch, farm hand, Argyll East, said Price called at McMil-

lan’s, where witness was employed, on February 6 and asked for either of the / McMillan brothers. Witness told him they were away. Price then asked for

Mrs. McMillan, but witness said she was in hospital. Price thereupon went away. Reginald Bridge, manager of the Bank of New South Wales, Hastings, said James N. Lowry had an account with his bank. He identified cheques drawn by Lowry in favour of C, Edwards. Afterexamining signatures on the passport, withdrawal receipt and endorsements oi the cheques, witness expressed the opinion that they were signed by the same person. Mary Edith Nestor Bayliss, residing at Taheke, recalled a visit paid to her home on February 6 by Edwards. Witness asked Edwards to have a cup of tea, but he refused, saying he had a young lady in the car. Witness asked him if she was his young lady. He replied, “No; but she’s a respectable young woman.” Price did not appear to be under the influence of liquor at the time. Ransome Tinsley Harding, a mercer of Hastings, said the socks produced in court were identical with those he had in stock. He sold two pairs of socks on February 6. TEETH FITTED IN SKULL. Gerald Joseph Faulkner, surgeon dentist of Hastings, stated that he examined a denture at the request of the police on February 16. ' On February 22 he was asked to examine another denture. Witness said he had seen the skull and jawbone of Miss Madden and had fitted the dentures into the jaw, with the’result that he could definitely state that they fitted the mouth. Walter Langdon Edwards, farm hand, said he was employed in February by Mr. Blundell. As he was going to the men’s quarters at the station on February 6 he saw a man walking through a plantation to a car just outside the gate. In the car there was a man at the wheel and a woman sitting behind. The car was driven straight away. It was at Bayliss’ station, Taheka, that lie saw this.

Lillian Enid Hollis, wife of an Argyll East farmer, said she and her husband were home for all meals on February 6 and 7 that no one else stayed with them that night; nor did any woman com-’ to their house at any time on February 6. She never knew Charles Edwards and had never seen or known of Eva Madden. Arthur Alexander Hollis supported this.

TENDERED £5 NOTE. ,

Gordon Hector Hart said he was looking after the Te Aute Hotel for his father bn February 6. He was serving in the bar that day. Guild, the taxidriver, came in accompanied by the man in the dock. Price called for drinks and tendered a £5 note in payment. When told that witness' could not change it Price pulled out a roll of notes and gave him £l." He then said he had.just come from Tikokino, where he had been working. Price had about five shandies and port ‘wines and paid for all the drinks. He appeared to be sober when he left. Margaret. Murphy, sister of Price, said his correct name was Charles William Price, but he sometimes went under the name of Edwards. On February 6 her brother came up to her place at Napier about 6.30 and from that' evening up to February 15 stayed with -witness. On the evening of February 6 they had a small family party and on the following .day went to Hastings in the' car and her brother called at Rosenberg’s office and collected some bags. They got horrys between 12 and 1 o’clock. He did not say to whom the suitcases belonged. He said' he .would leave them. Blue and brown suitcases produced in . court were’stated by witness to be similar to those brought to her house. Price was wearing a suit like that produced on the evening of February 6. Herbert Lawrence Goodger, clerk in the Napier post office, produced a'money order telegram for £29 17s 6d to Evelyn Mary Madden at the Girls’ Friendly Society from Wellington,, which was received at 10.6 a.m. on February 6. It Was sent out on several occasions but was never claimed by the addressee. WALK TO PLOUGHMAN’S CAMP. David Condie Marshall said he engaged Price on February 13 to work on his farm. He arrived on Friday, February 15, and witness met him at 2.30 about three-quarters of a mile from the farm. Next morning Price asked the direction to the ploughman’s camp at Bayliss’ property, saying he wanted to see one of the men about a horse. Witness gave the directions and Price left on foot for the camp six miles distant across country. Witness next saw. Price with De-tective-Sergeant Bickerdike about 1.30 at witness’ place. Acting-Detective James Bowman gave evidence that he uplifted the money order telegram referred to in Goodger’s evidence.

William Rhymer Watson, clerk in the parcels office of the Hastings railway station, said that between 4 and 5 p.m. on February 14 a man called and asked for his swag. Witness asked the man for his ticket, but the man said he had lost it. He then pointed out a canvas bag. Witness identified the bag produced in court. The man took the bag and signed an indemnity form. Asked what he was going to do with the cabin trunk, Price said he did not want it. He said he would pick up the kit bag next day, when going to Waipawa. Detective. Bernard Farquharson described the finding of the body. A frjsh growth of grass, ne said, prevented him finding any marks about the waterhole. Two branches of willow overhanging the pool were' broken off and lay in the wafer. The breaks were recent and fitted exactly. Witness attended the morgue at Hastings during the post-mortem examination and. took possession of the clothes removed from the body. Next day the clothes were examined by Miss Jamieson, who identified portions of them as belonging to Eva Madden. INTERVIEW BY DETECTIVE. On their arrival at the scene of the tragedy next day he and Detective-Ser-geant Bickerdike spoke to Price and were told he was Charles Edwards. “He was informed that we were making inquiries regarding the death of Miss Madden, whose body had been found in the waterhole in the creek about two chains from where we were standing,” continued witness. “Accused replied, ‘I knew Miss Mhdden. I took her to a house in Heretaunga Street, Hastings, on February 4 and left her there.’ Accused was told it was important that Miss Madden's movements and his be traced since leaving Lowry’s. He replied, ‘I will come into Hastings with you and point out the house where I left her and then give you a statement of my movements since I left there!’ ” Detective-Sergeant Bickerdike and witness drove the accused to Marshall’s, where Price changed into a brown suit. Before arriving at the Stortford Lodge corner, Hastings, Price said: "Miss Madden didn’t stop at that house I took her; to. She had a look at a room and didn’t like it.” Late the same night Price was arrested on the present charge. The charge was read to Price, who mumbled something about Miss Madden and in a louder voice said, “Fire ahead.” On February 23 witness was in charge of a search party near the spot where the body was found. While there he and Constable Dunn were shifting some cut manuka scrub five chains from the pool and there found a woman’s blue overcoat with a woman’s white hat, handbag and shoe wrapped in it. Inside the handbag were an empty purse, a handkerchief and a small newspaper cutting. Next ’day the coat, hat and shoe were identified by Miss Jamieson. The day after that witness went to Wellington and took to Dr. Mercer' the woman’s

coat and white hat and the coat of the brown suit worn by Price when he was arrested. . .. ~ The detective, continuing to detail his investigations, said that in the pool he found a number of pieces of wood, one of which was found near where the body lay. On Sunday. March 31, witness was present when the body was exhumed. The head was removed and placed in a metal container which was sealed and placed inside another metal container. This was taken by witness to Dr. Gilmour at Auckland. The court adjourned till to-morrow. —— I